Allahu Akbar Hayya 'alas-Salah Hayya 'alal-Falah Come to prayer Come to success

The call to prayer floats from the mosque, inviting every Muslim—

Ignoring that call, the gang of assassins advanced to commit the most heinous killing in history.

The weapons in their hands roared. The assassins killed the soul of independence, the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. These beasts killed my mother, Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib. They killed freedom fighter and student leader Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal, and their newly wedded wives, Sultana Kamal and Rosy Jamal—whose henna-stained hands merged with the fresh red of their blood.

The murderers killed Bangabandhu’s only brother, Sheikh Abu Naser.

Brigadier Jamil of the Military, who had rushed to ensure the President's security.

They killed duty-bound police officers and officials.

And at the very end, they killed Sheikh Russel, who was only ten years old. Time and again, Russel cried, saying, "I want to go to my mother." Escorting him past the corpses of his father and brothers, they brought him beside his mother's body and brutally murdered him. In their words, they committed a "Mercy Murder" on Russel—

Those despicable killers did not stop the massacre there; at the same time, they killed youth leader Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani and his pregnant wife, Arzoo Mani— They killed peasant leader Abdur Rab Serniabat, his thirteen-year-old daughter Baby, Russel's playmate, his youngest son 10-year-old Arif,

And the eldest son of Abul Hasnat Abdullah, four-year-old Sukanta. They also killed his nephew, journalist Shahid Serniabat, Nantu, as well as domestic helps and dependents.

Once again, a history of betrayal was written on the soil of Bengal.

On June 23, 1757, in the battleground of Plassey, Mir Jafar—the commander-in-chief of Bengal’s last Nawab, Siraj ud-Daulah—betrayed him out of greed for power and the desire to become Nawab.

In 1975, the exact same event repeated itself in Bangladesh. Khandakar Mushtaq, a member of his own cabinet, betrayed the first President of independent Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib, driven by the desire to become President. Among the assassins were Colonel Rashid, Colonel Farooq, Major Dalim, Huda, Shahriar, Mohiuddin, Khairuzzaman, Moslem, and their gang. Just as the Nawab’s soldiers stood silently at Plassey on the secret signal of the commander—

On this day in 1975, those who were closest to Bangabandhu, whom he had raised with his own hands and trusted with power, remained silent. A tiny bit of action, intent, or order from those who held power could have saved Bangabandhu—yet at Khandakar Mushtaq’s secret cue, they played the role of silent spectators and did not step forward to help. How long did Mir Jafar’s reign last? Not even three full months—Khandakar Mushtaq's presidency (achieved through assassination in violation of all constitutional principles) could not complete three months either.

Those who trigger such events, those who pull the strings behind the scenes, never trust these traitors in the end. In fact, no one trusts betrayers—even those who instigate them; history teaches us that lesson. But do people learn from history? In every era, such traitors are born whose lust for power pushes a whole nation toward ruin and brings about destruction.

By killing the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Mujib, the murderers killed the very hopes and aspirations of the people of Bengal. They killed the ultimate goal of independence. They brought absolute ruin to the Bengali nation.

There was no trial for this murder. General Zia came to power, spared the killers from the rule of law, and rewarded them with government job appointments.

He did not allow the rule of law to take its own course; rather, he indulged and nurtured injustice and crime—the evil consequences of which make every citizen feel insecure today. The people of Bengal despise these murderers.

Why did they kill Bangabandhu? What was his crime?

"Freedom"—a deeply cherished word, the core desire of the human heart. Oppressed under the chokehold of subjugation, who wants to suffocate to death? Once, everyone fought for the creation of Pakistan, and so did Bangabandhu. But after Pakistan came into being, what did Bengalis get? Neither political freedom nor economic emancipation. Nothing fell to the lot of Bengalis except exploitation, deprivation, persecution, and even their mother tongue—which the Pakistani rulers tried to snatch away. Bengalis protected the dignity of their mother tongue with their chest's blood. Various conspiracies continued to destroy Bengali culture. By siphoning off national wealth and impoverishing Bengalis, twenty-two families were created to sustain the exploitation.

And Bangabandhu Mujib recited the immortal word—"Freedom"—and showed the path to liberation:

"The struggle this time is the struggle for our emancipation!

The struggle this time is the struggle for our independence!"

"Joy Bangla"—he declared the victory of Bengalis. "Joy Bangla"—was that his crime?

Bangladesh, which was a playground of exploitation for the Pakistani ruling elite—just as a wild beast turns ferocious when its prey is snatched from its jaws—became equally ferocious as the defeated enemies. Because that immortal message echoed through every vein and artery of every Bengali, striking violently at the core of Bengali consciousness.

On March 7, 1971, that thunderous, immortal voice attracted every Bengali like a magnet. Plunging into war, the brave sons of Bengal defeated the enemy and snatched away the red sun of independence.

On August 15, 1975, by killing Bangabandhu, the accomplices of those defeated enemies seemed to satisfy their vengeance! They took revenge for their defeat.

What is the condition of Bangladesh today without Mujib?

Bangabandhu Mujib’s lifelong dedication was to build an exploitation-free society where no gap would exist between the rich and the poor, and where every human being would receive basic necessities—food, clothing, shelter, education, medical care, and employment opportunities.

He wanted to establish the independent identity of the Bengali nation with honor across the globe and make it economically self-reliant. Toward that goal, he sacrificed throughout his life, waged an uncompromising struggle, and endured imprisonment, oppression, torture, and persecution. Even the gallows could not move him an inch from his resolve. His uncompromising, struggle-oriented role serves as an ideal model for our new generation.

But what do we see? The assassins did not stop merely at killing Bangabandhu—they went as far as distorting the history of our great Liberation War. Bangabandhu's contribution is being minimized, and a despicable plot is underway to erase him from history.

After the murder of Bangabandhu, the spirit, values, ideals, objectives, and goals of the Liberation War were completely abandoned.

The Bengalis who had ended the rule of the Pakistani military junta to free the country and establish democracy—those murderers abolished that democracy and imposed the rule of a military junta instead.

The common man lost his fundamental rights.

The right to vote and food became imprisoned within military cantonments.

Under their patronage, a small looting class emerged. A reign of unchecked plunder was established. Corruption and smuggling received shelter under their misrule.

Discarding social justice and human values, the ruling class created an indulgent and drug-addicted upper class to plunder freely. The vast majority—meaning 90% of the people in this country—live below the poverty line (which previously stood at 15%).

The proportion of landless people was 37%, now nearly 70%. Those owning up to 25 bighas of land did not have to pay land tax during Bangabandhu's time—currently, the burden of land tax and duties is excessive. Instead of 22 families, hundreds of families have emerged, turning the country into a playground for unrestricted looting. The growth rate, which was 7% during Bangabandhu's era, now stands at 2%. The trade gap between imports and exports has widened dramatically.

The country is flooded with foreign goods while domestic products find no market—unfettered smuggling has led to this situation.

During Bangabandhu’s era, alcohol, gambling, and horse racing were banned; today, mini-bars operate in households, let alone in markets—it has reached the village level.

Bangladesh has become a smooth transit route for drug smuggling today. Its toxic impact casts a dark shadow over society, claiming countless young lives and fueling crime rates. The law and order situation has deteriorated drastically.

Unemployment is rising day by day. Educated youth are frustrated due to a lack of jobs, and educational institutions are being ruined through gun violence.

State-sponsored terrorism is destroying the educational environment.

The lion's share of the budget goes to non-productive sectors, while health and education receive the lowest allocations.

People are bewildered by the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities. Thousands suffer from starvation and malnutrition. Children are becoming disabled and going blind. This is the current picture of Bangladesh! The dream of independence has been shattered into pieces due to the absence of just one person. These killers and conspirators are responsible for the suffering of the people of Bengal.

Therefore, the true nature of this assassination must be uncovered. The conspirators must be ousted. Unless military autocracy ends, the emancipation of the people of Bengal will not come. Democracy is the only path to freedom. Today is August 15. On National Mourning Day, every Bengali must take a pledge to eradicate military rule from the soil of Bengal, try the killers in the people's court, and save the people of Bengal by uprooting the conspirators.

Author: Sheikh Hasina, politician, five-time elected Prime Minister of Bangladesh, President of the Awami League, and daughter of Bangabandhu.

Translated into English by: Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, politician, Mayor, Sylhet City Corporation.